Search Result in All

Marriage is one of the oldest practices known to mankind. It has been practiced by prophets since Adam and has been taught to the rest of mankind as a Godly tradition. Islam considers that the best of people are those who get married, while the worst are those who avoid marriage and pass their lives by remaining single. Secular societies have gradually eroded the importance of marriage and this has been the subject of much controversy in recent times. This week\'s Islam & Life asks: How can Muslims defend the institution of marriage in secular societies?

Weeks after Iran signed a landmark deal with the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, more signs emerge that some members of the Congress are already preparing to torpedo it. Several key senators have asked intelligence officials to examine whether a new set of sanctions would derail the nuclear talks with Iran. The request was made by the chairmen of the Senate\'s banking, intelligence, and armed services committees, and the reply should be ready in less than a week. The senators have also asked intelligence officials to provide briefings to the chamber -- once every 45 days starting on February first -- on whether Iran is complying with the deal. Some members of Congress are pushing for a new list of sanctions against Iran. But the White House is calling on senators to hold off. It says new sanctions against Iran would make Washington appear to be acting in bad faith in its nuclear outreach to Tehran.

The US National Security Agency has justified tracking the data of millions of people, wherever they are in the world. The NSA says its tracking of cell phones overseas is legally authorized under a presidential order. The intelligence agency says it isn\'t tracking every foreign phone call, and it takes measures to limit how much US data is collected. It was revealed earlier this week that the NSA gathers up to five billion records every day on the location data for hundreds of millions of cell phones worldwide. Documents supplied by whistleblower Edward Snowden detail how the NSA is applying sophisticated mathematical techniques to map cell phone owners\' relationships.

Thailand\'s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawat says she will dissolve the parliament and hold elections as soon as possible. Shinawat did not immediately set a date for the polls. The ruling party has confirmed that Yingluck would run in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, anti-government protesters are still out on the streets. Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has reacted to the announcement, saying that the parliament\'s dissolution is not his aim. He\'s also called for the protest campaign to go on. Meanwhile, demonstrators are gathering outside the government house in a \"final showdown\" to topple the prime minister. Violence suddenly ended last week with both sides pausing to celebrate the birthday of the nation\'s king. On Sunday, the main opposition lawmakers resigned from parliament en masse, exacerbating the nation\'s political divide.

The Israeli parliament has approved a law that allows new illegal migrants to be held without charge. Under the new law, illegal migrants face up to a year in detention. The law also gives Israeli authorities the right to send illegal immigrants living in Israeli cities to complexes called open facilities-- until they are deported or voluntarily go back to their homeland. The first such facilities is due to start operating this week in the Negev Desert in southern Israel. Migrants kept there will have no right to work. Critics of the new law have described such open facilities as prisons. They predict the new law- like the previous one- will be challenged in the Supreme Court. More than 50-thousand African immigrants currently work in low-paying jobs in Israel.

The US secretary of state is back in the Middle East for yet another round of shuttle diplomacy between Israelis and the Palestinian Authority. John Kerry visited Ramallah to hold a closed-door meeting with PA officials to discuss the so-called peace talks that suffered a heavy blow last week.

The shocking killing of Lee Rigby earlier this year by people believing themselves to be Muslims was predictably followed by weeks of media coverage. Although such extremism is contradictory to Islam, Muslims felt it necessary to again denounce this extremism. However, there was another victim of extremism shortly after, 82-year old Mohammed Saleem. He was stabbed three times until he died on his way home from prayers. The extremist was Ukrainian student Pavlo Lapshyn, a man who also bombed several mosques in Britain. British media has been comparably quiet. Was it because his beliefs were not expressed as Islamic? This week\'s Islam and Life asks: Which victim of extremism will Britain remember: Lee Rigby or Mohammed Saleem?

The government formation in India\\\'s New Delhi State seems impossible for the time being, as differences remain. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP and the Congress have NOT agreed to 18 conditions set by the Aam Aadmi Party --- also known as the Common Man\\\'s party --- which led Delhi assembly elections last week. The BJP and the Congress Party came second and third in the elections. The Aam Aadmi Party is demanding unconditional support by the two other parties. Its leader Arvind Kejriwal says that the BJP and the Congress Party must back his election manifesto, which includes a campaign against corruption. The BJP has rejected that it offered support to the Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress Party has also criticized the Aam Aadmi Party\\\'s leader for setting conditions. If no political solution is found in the coming days analysts say Delhi could soon be heading for President\\\'s rule with a Lt Governor taking all decisions till the state goes in for a fresh poll again in the coming months.

Palestinians insist that they will not accept a security plan proposed by the US, regarding their conflict with Israelis.A member from the Fatah Party of acting Palestinian chief Mahmud Abbas has told Press TV that anything detracting the sovereignty of a Palestinian state is rejected. The plan was proposed by US secretary of state, John Kerry during his latest trip to occupied territories on Thursday and Friday ---- the second such visit in less than a week. Under the proposed plan, Israel will keep military presence in a future Palestinian state along its strategic border with Jordan. Acting Palestinian chief, Mahmud Abbas has rejected the US-proposed plan. Sources say he\\\'s also presented Kerry a letter laying down what Palestinians have called red lines. Yet, Abbas is facing growing criticism over the continuation of talks with Israelis. Critics say the talks must be halted, as long as Israel pushes ahead with its settlement projects on occupied Palestinian lands and continues aggressions against Palestinians. Although Abbas has rejected the security proposals outlined by the US, political factions are calling on him to end the negotiations and take other methods against the occupation, as they see the US taking Israel\\\'s side.

A US Senator says Congress is expected to have a sanctions bill against Iran. John McCain says the bill will take effect if Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries don\\\'t finalize a nuclear deal soon. McCain made the comment on a US television, where he also warned Iran that it was \\\"very likely\\\" the bill would take effect if a final agreement was not penned within the next six months. Earlier, during a Senate hearing last week, Secretary of State John Kerry had defended the recent interim nuclear deal signed with Iran. He urged lawmakers to hold off on any new sanctions legislation for a while. Tehran says Americans, on the one hand, are trying to justify the recent nuclear deal with Iran-- while, on the other, they target Iran with more sanctions.

Israel announced on Tuesday that it had officially confiscated about 4 dunums of private Palestinian land belonging to the villagers of Qusra, South of Nablus, a move that will restrict access of Palestinians to over 500 more dunums of land in the area. Tel Aviv annexed the confiscated land for the favor of one of the illegal Israeli settler outposts erected on village lands. According to the villagers of Qusra, Israeli settlers have attacked the village at least once in a week since late October of 2010.

Representatives from Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are in Geneva for another round of technical talks over Iran\'s nuclear program. The talks come after four days of similar talks in Vienna last week. Iran walked out of the last round after the US expanded its sanctions against Tehran. The added measures came as, under a landmark deal in Geneva last month, the West had promised not to slap new sanctions. Tehran says it\'s ready to pick up the talks after the E-U foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton assured it that the P-five-plus-one countries, specially the U-S, would continue the talks in goodwill. Meanwhile, France\'s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who had previously blocked a deal under the influence of Israel, has already cast doubt on the chances of a final agreement in Geneva.

The US may have to fly military equipment out of Afghanistan since the land route through Pakistan has been blocked because of anti-US protests. US officials say the possible air shipments would cost an additional one billion dollars. Sending the cargoes out through the normal routes via Pakistan would cost about five billion dollars. Dozens of Pakistani protesters continue to gather on the busy overland route more than a week after Islamabad promised Washington that it would take immediate action to quell the protests. Pakistanis are angry with US drone operations which have left scores of civilians dead and injured in their country.

At a time when Christians are making efforts to cherish the values taught by Prophet Jesus (PBUH), should Muslims take the opportunity to highlight a common understanding? Of course, there are very important and fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity, but there is also a wealth of similarities. Indeed, in the Holy Quran, God says, \"you will find the closest in love to the believers those who say: \"We are Christians.\" That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant.\" This week\'s Islam & Life asks: How should Muslims interact with Christians?

Its the second day of a new round of technical talks between Iran and the permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany in the Swiss city of Geneva. Experts from the two sides began negotiations over Iran\\\\\\\'s nuclear program on Thursday. The talks follow four days of similar discussions in Vienna last week. Iran walked out of the last round after the U-S expanded its sanctions against Tehran. The added measures came as, under a landmark deal in Geneva last month, the West had promised not to slap new sanctions on Iran. Tehran says it\\\\\\\'s ready to pick up the talks after the E-U foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton assured it that the P-five-plus-one countries, especially the U-S, would continue the negotiations in goodwill.

The European Union\\\'s envoy to the Middle East has warned Israel against the failure of the so-called peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. Andreas Reinicke says support in Europe for sanctioning Israel over its settlement policies is growing and could intensify IF the talks with Palestinians fail. Reinicke, who is leaving his post next week, said he has been in touch with US mediators. The campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel has been gaining momentum for some time. The EU envoy says over a dozen of states are now in support of the idea of labeling the Israeli goods from the occupied territories. This over Israeli violations - including its settlement expansions. Several academic bodies in the US have already decided to boycott Israeli academia over Tel Aviv\\\'s violation of international law.

The European Union\'s envoy to the Middle East has warned Israel against the failure of the so-called peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. Andreas Reinicke says support in Europe for sanctioning Israel over its settlement policies is growing and could intensify IF the talks with Palestinians fail. Reinicke, who is leaving his post next week, said he has been in touch with US mediators. The campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel has been gaining momentum for some time. The EU envoy says over a dozen of states are now in support of the idea of labeling the Israeli goods from the occupied territories. This over Israeli violations - including its settlement expansions. Several academic bodies in the US have already decided to boycott Israeli academia over Tel Aviv\'s violation of international law.

People in Pakistan\\\'s North Waziristan accuse government forces of killing civilians during an anti-Taliban operation in the region. Local residents have put the civilian death toll at several dozen. They say a large number have also fled their homes following days of military shelling and aerial raids. The army launched an offensive in response to an attack on a checkpoint in North Waziristan. Pakistan\\\'s mountainous border with Afghanistan is known as a stronghold for Taliban militants. Military officials say nearly two dozen militants have been killed in clashes with security forces since last week. Authorities have also imposed a curfew across the lawless region.

The Syrian foreign minister has accused foreign supporters of insurgents of leaking information about the locations of the country\'s chemical weapons. Walid Moallem slammed the countries that help militants locate Syria\'s chemical weapons, saying Damascus holds such states responsible for the consequences of their actions. The Syrian foreign ministry also called on international organizations to take action and help stop these acts. It also noted that government forces have foiled two insurgent attacks on the locations of chemical weapons in central and southern Syria. Earlier this week, militants tried to storm two facilities that stored the countries\' chemical arms. They attempted to break into the facilities with an armored vehicle loaded with explosives.

Israel has made an announcement that they produce tenders for a further 2000 new illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al Quds. Israeli prime minister made the announcement just one week before the Israelis are set to release 24 Palestinian prisoners who have been held in Israeli jails since before the Oslo agreement in 1993. Members of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation slammed the Israeli authorities for defying calls from both the EU and the US to halt settlement expansion and further stated that this move could seriously jeopardize the US brokered Palestinian Israeli negotiations.

Now the territory\\\'s one-point-seven-million population are once more left to deal with the winter cold. This, after Israel shut down its only crossing to Gaza, known as Kerem Shalom. Gaza\\\'s power plant was on for only 12 days following a seven-week shutdown. The Israeli siege of the enclave has caused a lot of hardships for Palestinians there. The blockade has been in place since 2007 after Hamas took power in a democratic election. Tel Aviv has been defying international calls to lift its blockade, which is seen by many rights groups as illegal.

A federal judge in the United States has ruled that the spying activities of the government on the country\\\'s citizens are legal. New York District Judge William Pauley made the ruling in response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against the National Security Agency. Judge Pauley says the NSA\\\'s phone tapping activities are valuable tools to counter what he called threats of terrorism. He also said the mass collection of phone data increases the agency\\\'s capabilities to protect US citizens. The comments come just a week after another federal judge ruled that the surveillance was unconstitutional. Washington DC federal judge Richard Leon said the phone-tapping program violates the Constitution\\\'s ban on unreasonable search.

Anti-government demonstrations continue in Egypt as the Anti-Coup Alliance, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, calls for seven days of street action during a Week of Rage. The demonstrations came just one day after the military-installed government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a \"terrorist organization.\"

Iranian Parliamentarians say that human rights has become a tool in the hands of the West to pressure other countries. Human Rights Resolution proposed by Canada against Iran was adopted on December 18th. Iranian parliamentarians talked about the resolution after they came back from vacation this week. The resolution was approved with 86 votes in favor, 36 against and 61 abstentions, expressing concern over alleged human rights violations in Iran. Iranian representatives say the move does not aim in any way to enhance rights conditions. They say human rights has been politicized and this is damaging to those who have dedicated their lives to create better living conditions for all individuals without a political motive.

Protests continue in Cairo\\\'s Al-Azhar University despite the Egyptian army\\\'s harsh crackdown and mass arrests of pro-Morsi demonstrators. Students have now been demonstrating on the university campus for four consecutive days. Security forces have used tear gas to disperse the crowds. Students are protesting against the army-backed government, the upcoming constitutional referendum and the ban on The Muslim Brotherhood. Saturday\\\'s killing of two students has also fuelled anti-government sentiment. Egypt has been witnessing mass rallies since former president Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the army in July. Last week, the interim-government designated The Muslim Brothers a terrorist organization. Now it says protests are banned in universities, unless permission has been obtained from the Interior Ministry.

Students have now been demonstrating on the university campus for four consecutive days. Security forces have used tear gas to disperse the crowds. Students are protesting against the army-backed government, the upcoming constitutional referendum and the ban on The Muslim Brotherhood. Saturday\\\'s killing of two students has also fuelled anti-government sentiment. Egypt has been witnessing mass rallies since former president Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the army in July. Last week , the interim-government designated The Muslim Brothers a terrorist organization. That decision further intensified the protests.

Criticism is ramping up against the military-backed government as anti-regime protests continued across Egypt for the fifth consecutive day. The demonstrations come as part of the \\\'week of rage\\\' rallies called for by the anti-coup alliance. Protesters chanted slogans against the army which ousted president Mohamed Morsi.T hey also demanded the release of their fellow students who were detained by security forces. On Tuesday, security forces took 16 student protesters to court over alleged accusations of protesting without permission.

A prominent human rights group accuses Israel of presenting no evidence in the case of killing two Palestinian teenagers in the West Bank in 2013. Human Rights Watch says Israeli forces hid near schools and killed two children who posed no threats to them. In January 2013, Samir Awad was shot three times in the leg, back and head. The 16-year-old was about 250 meters away from his school when he was shot. Also in December, an Israeli soldier shot dead 16-year-old Wajih al-Ramahi in an area between his school and a market. The HRW says there is no justification for the use of live ammunitions in either of the cases. Last week, another Palestinian teenager died of the wounds he sustained after being shot by Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border.